Passengers aboard a Latam Airlines flight experienced a frightening ordeal on Tuesday evening when the aircraft suffered a dramatic tyre failure immediately after touching down at one of the world's busiest airports.
A Terrifying Descent and Loud Bangs
Latam Flight 2482, arriving from Lima, Peru, was landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, around 7.30pm local time when the tyres underneath both wings blew out. Those on board reported hearing a loud 'pop' or multiple 'loud bangs' as the wheels made contact with the tarmac, accompanied by visible smoke.
"We were going fast," recounted passenger Liza Karseno. "The plane wasn’t stopping." Another traveller, Dae Bogan, took to social media platform X to describe the moment, writing: "We landed in Atlanta so hard that the entire aircraft was shaking."
Chaos on the Tarmac and Damaged Aircraft
Photographs from the scene revealed the extent of the damage, with tyre rubber completely shredded on both sides of the aircraft. The impact of the landing was so severe that it reportedly broke a bathroom door off its hinges inside the cabin.
An observer on the ground, posting on Reddit, stated they heard the explosions and saw smoke. They quoted an airport operations employee as saying, "the plane landed so hard that all the tires blew out."
Passenger Ordeal and Anxious Families
After the aircraft came to a stop, passengers were escorted off via stairs directly onto the tarmac and transferred to buses for the journey back to the terminal. Dae Bogan noted that some faced waits of over an hour for a bus after already spending hours on the plane during the deboarding process.
The incident caused significant distress for families awaiting arrivals. Barbie Williams, whose 15-year-old son was travelling alone, told reporters an airline employee informed her of an "accident" but did not initially confirm it involved her son's flight. "I’ve been without [my son] for two weeks. It’s the first time he’s travelled by himself," she said, expressing relief once he was confirmed safe.
Investigation Launched into Cause
It remains unclear what caused the tyre malfunction during the landing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed it is investigating the incident. Officials stated that the event did not disrupt overall airport operations at Hartsfield-Jackson.
Latam Airlines and the airport have been contacted for comment regarding the emergency landing. There have been no immediate reports of passenger injuries.
